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X-Men '97: Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 1 (2024)
Excellent start for an eXellent finale
The first part of the X-Men '97 finale is an bombastic and entertaining episode that sets expectations even higher for the other two parts to come.
The villain reveals his secret plan as he activates his sentinels around the globe to eliminate all mutants and the X-Men. They stand barely a chance agains these cyber-humans, because of their self-repair abilities.
Fortunately the president lady frees Magneto from the villain's lair and he flies to north pole and sends our electromagnetic impulses that deactivate the sentinels.
We also get a lot of backstory from our villain, so we understand his motives.
There was also a short spider-man cameo which I liked, because it was just 2 seconds or so.
In the end a capsule crashes into the X-Men mansion and it's Charles Xavier himself calling HIS X-Men to fight against whatever evil comes.
All in all a superb episode, the second best so far, ranked behind the Gambit one. If they continue to improve God save us, because that would be an insane finale.
I said it last week and I say it again now. If Marvel wanna survive they have to cut down their live-action garbage and focus on animated shows like this. They still have the knowledge and creativity to tell fascinating stories. This may their way to remain relevant for the next years.
X-Men '97: Bright Eyes (2024)
Rogue's Revenge
Last week's episode felt like a drawback if compared to the masterpiece episode 5 was. So it was time to set things straight and the showrunners delivered!
This episode shows us what we all wanted to see last week: A revenge for the attack on Genusha and the murder of Gambit. Rogue sets out to find the person responsible for the attack and even meets Captain America. He can't help her so she logically throws his shield away and goes on.
When they finally find the person behind the attack, they find out that there is someone bigger pulling the strings behind the scenes. In her fury Rogue goes rogue and drops the guy off the building. X-Men usually don't kill humans, but this time we all understand their anger.
It turns out that this guy was some kind of cyber-mutant (sorry for my lack of expertise) and a battle starts. Luckily they get rescued by Schwarzenegger's brother and we switch to our villain who is shaving Magneto. How kind of him!!
The next three episodes will form the finale of the first season and I am eager to see, if they manage to keep the quality up. If they do so, maybe this animated form could be Marvel's future? Their live action shows were all garbage. With X-Men'97 they returned to the roots. Why not producing more of these shows? Just an idea...
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare (2010)
Best Zombie Movie Ever
Red Dead Redemption is a milestone for open world videogames and was the first ever with a western setting. But Rockstar Games decided to go one step further with their DLC Undead Nightmare, which turns the game into a zombie-apocalypse-western.
Rockstar's story and mission design are excellent as always. Their games' biggest strength is the satirisation of the United States of America and it works here again. Their developers' creativity has no limits, the player profits immensely from that.
This time there are bigfoots, burning horses and an unicorn.
The only aspect you may criticise is, that it is too short. There are only 10 story missions and some of them are pretty easy and a bit boring. So that's why the main game is superior to this dlc.
However both of them are recommended to play. These are historical pieces of art you can learn from, and most importantly, that will give you a lot of fun! Before watching a zombie movie, just play the best one available!
Red Dead Redemption (2010)
The Destruction of Cinema
In 2010 Rockstar Games, the makers of the industry's biggest franchise known by the name of Grand Theft Auto, decided to take a risk. Leslie Benzies, Dan and Sam Houser had a dream. This dream was to make a western, but not a movie, they wanted to make a western videogame. What they achieved, was not only to create one of the best gaming franchises of all time. With Red Dead Redemption Rockstar started to kill Cinema.
Red Dead Redemption, or RDR, as it is called by fans, lets you play as John Marston, a bounty hunter, blackmailed by the government to hunt down his former crew members. Marston is all the legendary western heroes combined. He is Clint Eastwood's "Blonde", he is John Wayne, Lee Van Cleef, Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper, etc.
We follow him on his journey through New Austin, the Wild West equivalent, Nuevo Paraiso, which is Mexico and West Elizabeth, which can be interpreted as the East Coast.
Each territory is unique and feels alive. The wildlife and flora is different in every territory.
RDR's open world feels alive and realistic and there is nothing I missed.
Rockstar's Mission design is king of the industry. RDR's 57 story missions and 20 side missions are all great with a few exceptions. Some of the missions, especially those with the Gatling Guns were amazing.
But there is much more than the story. If you want to complete the game, and I mean complete complete, platinum trophy inclusive, you gonna be prepared for an insane grind.
There are 7 bandit camps, 4 environment challenges, each coming with 10 levels, there are 17 outfits to unlock, 20 bounties to collect, every animal has to be killed, etc., etc.
And if that's not enough, there is a dlc, called Undead Nightmare, that gives you even more to do.
Verdict:
What Rockstar Games achieved with Red Dead Redemption is historical. Who needs movies anymore if you could just play better versions of Western films in videogame form?! Rockstars cinematic storytelling makes cinema absolete. Hollywood's golden ages are long over, in comes the gaming industry to take its place. 8 years after RDR, Rockstar released RDR2 which earned 750 million dollars in 3 days. No movie ever achieved such success.
Red Dead Redemption is part of those historical pieces of art, everybody has to experience at least once in their lives. Now is the perfect time for that, since Rockstar ported the game to PS4. Go play it and find redemption.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Flash Strike (2024)
Fortunately, yes!
The Bad Batch season three prepares everything for a glorious finale in its penultimate episode. Its title "Flash Strike" describes the episode well. There is a lot going on, the pacing is superb and the tension is high. Dave Filoni and his writers have pulled of another brilliant episode. Kevin Kiner's magestic score delivers again.
The Bad Batch now is so close to rescuing Omega and all the other prisoners on Mount Tantiss, together with revealing the secrets about project necromancer.
The Zillo Beast also makes his return at the right moment, adding another mysterious element to the operation.
All in all, this episode gave me everything I wanted. Action packed, funny moments, tense moments and most importantly it hold back the reveals for the finale!
In my opinion the last episode has to be much longer than the usual 20-25 minutes. I expect it to be 40-45 minutes like the Star Wars Rebels finale. I just do not see how they possibly could end this journey in 20 minutes.
We will find out in 7 days from now. Enjoy the last week of Star Wars The Bad Batch. A show that will be missed, at least by me!
Shôgun: A Dream of a Dream (2024)
Like leafless branches
When I started to watch this Show I had high expectations given to the high score it has. What I did not expect was to fall in love.
We start where we took off last week, right after the door explode. I had hope. Many had hope that she will survive. But it would not be Shogun if she survived. And so she died. Mariko-sama died.
She was many people's favorite character. She was Shogun's heart. And now it was ripped out of its chest and the world feels not the same. It is emptier. It is like a leafless branch.
The showrunners planned this from the start. They did not want one epic final battle to conclude the show. They wanted it to be Mariko's death and its aftermath.
But it does not end without giving us the reveal we all have waited for. Lord Toranaga's plan was to become Shogun from the beginning. All the sacrifices he made served this purpose. So he can restore peace in the realm.
He tells that Yabushige before his death, so only the viewer knows about it. Yabushige, the anjin and Lady Mariko are tools of Toranaga and they always were.
I am not sure if I like Toranaga for that or if I hate him. Mariko died because he set her in danger. But her death will save the lifes of thousands. A satisfying and unique ending.
I wanna thank the showrunners and you my fellow readers and colleagues for this incredible journey! We will keep Shogun in our hearts and show it to our children and grand children! The story ends, but its legacy will live forever.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Into the Breach (2024)
Kevin Kiner
The Star Wars soundtrack always has been one of its most iconic trademarks. John Williams with the movies, Ludwig Gorannson with the live action shows and of course the legendary Kevin Kiner with the animated shows. The last two episodes serve as an example for his masterclass art work.
This episode even starts with a loud sound, my soundbar let the floor erupt. Goosebumps from the first second on, not many shows manage to do this.
But throughout the episode it keeps up the quality. Being it the dark, menacing sound of Mount Tantiss or the infamous Bad Batch Theme in a different variation. I wanted this review to focus on this man's precious work. Thank you Kevin Kiner, for everything!
Now to the story. The Bad Batch still tries to get the coordinates to Tantiss with the help of Rampart. They break into an imperial space station and copple their ship on a science freighter that heads toward the secret base.
Meanwhile Omega prepares the kids to escape the facility.
Now everything has been prepared for a great finale, that we will get, I am sure of it. The hype is real!
Shôgun: Crimson Sky (2024)
Heartbreaking
The Abyss of Life presented one of the most emotional scenes of entertainment to us. Episode 9, Crimson Sky, continues on the same emotional level.
Blackthorne, Yabushige and Mariko are in Osaka to prepare everything for Crimson Sky. Lady Mariko wants to bring Toranaga's wife and his newborn son out of danger and back to Edo, but Lord Ishido prohibits it. Mariko tries nevertheless but gets stopped by Ishido's men. She protests and declares to commit suicide at sunset. This puts Ishido and the council in a tricky situation. If they let her go, the other hostages also want to go, if they let her kill herself this would cause protest by the other high families in Osaka.
When Mariko prepares to die, the Anjin tries to convince her not to do it. But even his love can't change her mind.
Literally in the last second Ishido arrives with permission for Mariko to leave in the morning.
Our heroes win and everything is prepared for Toranaga's strike.
But wait, this would not be Shogun, if it is that easy.
In the night Yabushige opens the doors for some ninjas to infiltrate the mansion. Blackthorne, Mariko and Yabushige manage to hide in some storage house but the ninjas prepare to blow up the door. The anjin tries to move something before the door and asks Yabushige to help him. But he does not move. Instead Mariko goes to the door and it explodes.
Puh, that's a shock. Honestly I expected her to commit suicide and was prepared to fill my bathtup with tears, but was reliefed to see her survive. And then that happens. I mean, there is still a chance she survives and I will spent 7 days hoping she will, but if not, I do not know what to say. I loved this character since she was introduced. Love by the first sight, you could say. Her death would break me and the anjin all together.
All in all this episode delivered another masterclass. With nine episodes done, we have only one left to conclude this show in perfection. Humanity holds its breath while waiting for the grand finale of the best show of the year. Maybe even the best show of the decade. We will see in one week from now.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Juggernaut (2024)
How is it possible that people hate this episode? Shame on you!
The Bad Batch's double feature one week ago was a massive banger that put the season back on track. This week's episode continues with an outstanding performance. It's tense, full of action and a lot of fun to watch.
After everything went wrong last episode, Omega is brought back to Tantiss, where she is the final part of the puzzle. Her blood and the M-count sample's can be used to clone something. However they do not reveal what to clone. This will be hold up til the end.
To get the coordinates of Tantiss the Bad Batch has to rescue Admiral Rampart from a mining fascility. He is the one who might know the way. This whole part was very entertaining to watch, because of the great action and the legendary soundtrack by Kevin Kiner. This guy put out another masterpiece.
In the end, they still do not know the coordinates, but Rampart knows a way how to get them.
All in all I really liked the episode and cannot understand why it got a 7 instead of an 8, at least. What do you expect, people? According to you, every episode not reaching the quality of peak Star Wars is a bad one. Please lower your expectations and enjoy the ride! Spare your bad vibes for The Acolyte!
X-Men '97: Remember It (2024)
Now I am a fan
I started this show out of a minor interest. The last couple of years Marvel released garbage after garbage, so I did not expect much. And at first I kind of was confirmed. It was good, but not extraordinary. The last episode was even bad, a filler. But then I saw this episode and everything changed.
The double love story of Magneto, Gambit and her (sorry I forgot the name) was intense and the tragic end of Gambit hit me hard. I do not know any backstory of these characters despite of what I have seen in this show, so it is not such a big deal for me like for some others, but it still was emotional and very well written.
I also like the subtle criticism on the UN by Magneto when he counters the UN woman's thesis "terrorists should not be allowed to be leaders" with "many leaders decide to become terrorists". He has a point!
Most importanly this episode gained me as a new fan of the animated X-Men. And I think this applies to many people like me who just wanted to give it a try. This show has great potential and I hope they do not throw it away!
Captain Fantastic (2016)
A fantastic movie
Captain Fantastic is a special movie, not mainstream and that's a good thing. This movie shows two worlds crashing against each other. On the one side you have a hippie family living in the woods away from the "fashist capitalists" ruling the world. On the other side you have the rest of the world, living the "normal" life we know. And this confrontation is worked out perfectly in this movie.
While the hippies for example, have been teached by their father, played by the great Vigho Mortensen, and know a lot of things, the two boys of the normal family don't know anything, despite going to school. The hippies also know how to survive on their own, how to hunt, how to treat wounds, etc., etc.
But they also have faults. Being kept away from the rest of the world, they do not know how this world works. Take the interaction of Bo with females. He does not know how to interact with them, because he never spoke with a girl despite his little sisters.
When their mother dies and the funeral takes place in a church, despite her will of being cremated in a buddhistic way the family travels all the way to the place to fulfill their mothers wish. Being confronted with the normal people one boy questions his father's way and wants to stay with his grand parents. The grandfather confronts him with child abuse, mentioning the many scars on the childrens body and the fact that he gave them real weapons. Additionally one daughter suffers a severe injure while trying to get the boy back. This makes the father question himself and his way of living. This concludes when Bo, ghe oldest son shows him invitations from all the big highschools. The father did not know about that, Bo assigned himself with the help of his mother.
In the end the father decides to let Bo go to college and moves into a real house with his kids. They also go to school now. So he opens up to the feared capitalistic world, but still keeps the wildlife habits like making their own food and living very sustainable.
So the message of this movie, as I would interpret, is that both extremes, the hippie world and our capitalistic western world are not ideal. A hybrid of both worlds would bring the most benefits. Everybody has the choice to either adept this idea or ignore it.
I recommend watching this fantastic movie, because it is full of heart. The great Viggo Mortensen is amazing here. This is a special movie I would not want to miss out!
Shôgun: The Abyss of Life (2024)
Brutal, emotional, breathtaking! Best episode so far!
Shogun's 8th installment, "The Abyss of Life", climbs at the top of all episodes so far and comes with a scene that surpasses everything we have seen before.
Having to wait one whole week to see this episode felt like an eternity! After the "Rains of Ajiro", as I called last week's episode, featuring the shocking betrayal of Toranaga's half brother and his surrender to the council plus the unexpected death of Toranaga's son Nagakado, I was trying to figure out how the show will move on. A few people had the idea (and hope) that Toranaga still has a backup plan and these people were right, at least they had the right idea.
What this episode does, and that's kind of typical of Shogun, is to play with its audience. It starts by showing the condition of Toranaga. He seems to be weak and suffering from an illness. His allies question his decision to surrender. They believe there is a chance to win if they fight Lord Ishido. But Toranaga seems to have mad his decision and declares every disobedience as treason. The anjin tries to win Lord Yanushige's allegiance for his plan to attack Osaka with ships, but he still believes Toranaga has some secret plan.
Then Toranaga summons all his Lords to sign a letter of surrender which he will be sending to Osaka. But some Lords and his personal advisor Hagemitsu refuse to accept this defeat. And Hagemitsu goes even further:
He sets Toranaga before an ultimate decision. If he does not decide to fight, Hagemitsu will commit Sepukku. Lord Toranaga fights with his emotions, you can see the tears he is trying to hide. This is his most loyal friend, he was there from him since he was a little boy and now he has to sacrifice him to ensure his masterplan will not fail. Watching this scene was heartbreaking! It was one of the most brutal and emotional scenes of entertainment history! To make it short and simple: This scene almost brought me to tears!
Lord Buntaro, Hagemitsu's son has to second his own father, which makes things even harder. This was the best scene of the show so far!
After this shocking event, Lord Yanushige decides to accept the anjin's offer. He now thinks of Toranaga as an old, mad man. But then we swith to Toranaga speaking to Lady Mariko, finally revealing his plan. By letting Hagemetsu die he made sure Lord Ishido and the council think his decision to surrender is real, but in the background he plans to fight. He explains how easy the anjin and Yanushige are to control. It was his plan they join forces and attack Osaka all the time. Lady Mariko also joins the two on their journey, of course you might rightly think!
The last scene of this episode shows Toranaga all dressed up, looking as good as new, concluding hos transformation from a sick old men at the start of the episode, to a determined, prideful leader!
This episode sets things up for a great finale we will get only two weeks from now! It is awesome to know, that we will get another two episodes of this phenomenon. Shogun proved again what it's made of and the steps of becoming the greatest show of the decade are getting fewer and fewer every week.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Allen's best. Period!
Woody Allen made some well known films in the 70s. I watched some of them and I had mixed feelings about them.
Midnight in Paris changed my view of maestro Allen because it touched me personally.
I often think about how it would be like living in the 1920s or the middle ages or during the antiques. These epoches have something magical on them I love. Just take architecture: Modern architecture is lifeless rubbish. The 1920s had some of the best.
Woody Allen finds a perfect answer for this dilemma. Every generation thinks a generation before them was the best. Ariadne, the woman Gil meets in the 1920s wants to live during the belle epoque. He coming from the 2010s thinks the 1920s are the best. And so it goes on and on.
The message of this movie is, that while it does not always seems to be the greatest period, the present is not worse than the past. But it is also not always better than the past. Every generation had something special, the others will never have.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Point of No Return (2024)
Powerful, tense, tragic! Masterclass!
After the great first part of our double feature fhe second part tops the first in every way delivering us the best episode of the season so far!
Fbi special agent clone wastes no time and tracks the pirate down. He gets the coordinates of Pabu and confirms the target. And then it happens.
The Havorc Marauder is gone, forever. Wrecker gets injured badly and the empire arrives with a venator attack cruiser to eliminate the chances of escape. They a roaming the streets in search for Omega, threatening wiman and children. Omega, who is lighthearted cannot watch this happening and surrenders to the empire. But not without a plan. Crosshair has to hit the ship with a tracking device, so they can finally get the coordinates of Mount Tantiss. The whole season he has issues hitting the target. This could be his moment of redemption.
But it is not. He misses the ship and Omega is gone again. He failed. The Bad Batch failed. Everything went wrong. This is pure tragedy.
Honestly, I did not expect such a blast! I hoped for it, being a huge fan of the show, but after the last two episodes even I had my doubts.
But Dave Filoni and his crew delivered again and set up the hype for the remaining 4 episodes. Now, they have no time left for filler episodes. This is serious business! I hope they make the most of it!
PS: I have to make a big shout out for Kevin Kiner, who's soundtrack electrifies me every single minute. John Williams could not have made it better!
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Identity Crisis (2024)
Bane's still stealing kids for Palpatine!
After the last two episodes were below our expectations this week's double feature has to set things right and the first part does a great job achieving this goal.
We are back on Tantiss were Kara overtakes the supervision of children with high M-counts. These "specimen", how the empire calls them, are force sensitive and serve project necromancer. And the empire cannot get enough of them...
This is were the legendary bounty hunter Cad Bane steps in. I knew it was him, just by listening to the sounds of his boots. This is one of my favorite Star Wars characters of all time!
He and Todo capture a force sensitive child and give it to the empire.
So, if you are a true Star Wars fan, this will sound familiar to you. In fact Bane did this before, in The Clone Wars. There was this episode were he stole a child and brought it to Mustafar, where Palpatine had a collection of force sensitive babies. So the project necromancer has been there all the time. Masterclass storytelling I call that!
At the end of the episode Hamlock is informed by the special fbi clone agent that he tracked down the pirate helping the Bad Batch sometimes. This is the beginning of the end.
I am relieved to see that Dave Filoni and his crew set things straight with the audience. There are only 5 episodes left of our precious childhood. Let's enjoy the ride together!
Shôgun: A Stick of Time (2024)
The Rains of Ajiro
A good story knows sacrifice. A good story knows to use the element of surprise. A good story knows to hit its viewer right into the heart.
Shogun's seventh entry "A stick of time" does all of these.
Lord Toranaga requests the assistance of his half brother Saeki to join him with Crimson Sky. At first it seems the plan works and the brothers are reunited, but then in good old GoT manner Saeki reveals he was named the fifth regent of the council, which means he is following Ishido's orders.
Lord Toranaga is forced to go to Osaka where he will await execution. But that's not all. Nagakado Toranaga's son tries to kill Saeki while he is in the brothel but he slips and dies a meaningless death.
Oh my god, everything that could go wrong, went wrong! Without Toranaga his army is useless and the fates of Lady Mariko and John Blackthorne are in the hands of the council.
The only possible outcome I can see is for Blackthorne to gather with Yanushige, Buntaro, Lady Mariko and a few good men to take back his ship and try one last attack.
This betrayal almost reaches GoT's unforgettable plot twists like Baelor or the Rains of Castamere. It shows us that no character is safe.
The showrunners made everything right. Now they have three whole episodes to bring the story to an satisfying end. I am more than sure, they will achieve it!
Shôgun: Ladies of the Willow World (2024)
Even Shogun's weakest is modern streaming olympus!
Episode 6 of Shogun may be the weakest so far, but it is still extraordinary.
After the tensions between Blackthorne and Lady Mariko and Lord Toranaga the anjin gets the pleasure to share the bed with the courtesan Kiku, lover of Yanushige's nephew. Although his interest is to Lady Mariko he accepts the offer. You could see by the reactions of Lady Mariko, that she has feelings for him and he clearly has too. Lord Toranaga knows too it seems. He sends her husband away for seven days and makes the offer with the courtesan to keep Lady Mariko focused on her tasks.
In general this episode heavily focuses on her past and how it interweens with Lady Ochinaba's, the mother of the heir. It was Lady Mariko's father that killed Lady Ochinaba's father and therefore got executed. It also seems Toranaga was the one that planned it. This would explain why Lord Ishido wants him out of the way, since he is like a marionette to Lady Ochinaba. All in all this is very complex and again reminds me of Game of Thrones' politics.
To impeach Toranaga and therefore declare war to him the council must be complete. Ishido found a marionette to replace Toranaga but then one of the christians protests. In good old GoT manner he gets "killed by bandits" and the way is free to start the war.
I think this episode is the weakest so far, but it also has a difficult task to fulfill: Setup for the great finale. This job was very well done!
The stakes are high, as we still don't know how Yanushige will act and if he supports Toranaga with his secret plan to attack Osaka with one hard blow. If he decides to betray him, this could be a serious threat to his life.
In summary I think this episode is very important and sets up a great finale. However it suffers a little bit from this task and therefore it is the show's weakest so far. The exceptional part about it, is that this still is better than most of the countless garbage productions we get regularly these days!
4 episodes to go, enjoy the ride!
Shôgun: Broken to the Fist (2024)
The imprisonment through traditions
This show fascinates me with every episode. The message of each episode is valuable and gives me materia to reflect on.
This one clearly is about traditions and how they affect the people believing in and living according to them. The japanese traditions differ a lot if compared to the european ones.
Honor plays a huge role for example. If a man makes a severe fault, the only way to behold his family honor is seppuku (suicide).
Another example of the traditions is shown in this episode.
When Blackthorne hangs up the bird he received from Toranaga it begins to rot and the japanese villagers think it's a demon. One day the gardener Ueijiro takes it down and gets executed by Blackthornes maid. He doesn't understand and calls it madness, but his maid just followed orders. When Blackthorne hanged it up he said that everybody who touches it will die. He did not meant it literally but the japanese took it serious.
This is just one example of the traditions portrayed in the show and it is quite simple to understand why Blackthorne is furious about them.
To make things worse, Lady Mariko's husband survived and now lives with her in Blackthornes house. The tension between them is visible and it is a miracle they did not try to kill each other yet.
Unfortunately the rivalry between them and Blackthorne's anger about the japanese traditions separates him from Lady Mariko, for now at least. I, of course, am hoping they will find back together quickly.
Around all this there is still the conflict with Lord Ishido and the unclear future of the double-agent Lord Yanushige. And then there is the earthquake at the end of the episode.
Living in europe fortunately I never have experienced catastrophes like this and won't experience them in the future either. This again reminded me of the priceless privilege of living in Europe. Like Lady Mariko once said, life could be over any moment.
When Toranaga gets hit by the earthquake it is Blackthorne who saves him, proving his loyalty once again.
Now 50 percent of the show is out and I enjoyed every single second of it. Even the intro sequence is a goosebumb creator. If they don't do crazy stuff this will be the best show of the year!
Shôgun: The Eightfold Fence (2024)
It happened one night
You know, what makes a tv show great is the balance of quality. If you manage to keep it or even increase it episode for episode you made your job well.
Shogun started with an extremely high quality and got better each and every episode since the beginning. The proper word for such work is excellency.
Lord Toranaga leaves Blackthorne, Lady Mariko and his sin in Ajiro, Lord Yanushibe's village. Blackthorne introduces cannon warfare to the japanese warriors, which will be a game changer in a possible war.
Yanushibe is still plotting against his lord and when Ishido's men arrive he wants to show them their new weapons.
But Toranaga's son wants to step out of his father's shadow and kills them with a surprise attack. This means war.
Meanwhile Blackthorne settles in within his house. His maid at first irritates him, but he quickly learns of her qualities and welfares them.
And then it finally happened. Blackthorne and Lady Mariko do the thing. Since their first meeting love was in the air and I am glad the writers got the right moment. The hot spring could have been it even a bit earlier.
I also have to mention the subtle but great humor. Especially Lord Yanushibe brings me to laugh with his behaviour but also Blackthorne having no clue of the japanese traditions.
But let's focus on the conflict. Toranaga now finds himself at war with the council after his son brutally murdered Ishido's men. How will Yanushibe behave? He could betray his lord, take Blackthorne, Lady Mariko and Toranaga's son hostage or kill them and therefore prove his loyalty to Ishido. Or is it already too late and he stands on Toranaga's side?
Questions like these prove the shows quality. It's tense and awfully entertaining. You just want to keep watching.
Shôgun: Tomorrow Is Tomorrow (2024)
It's only getting better and better!
After the huge reveal in the last episode Shogun wastes no time and expands its already rich story with great character development.
After being told of the portuguese plans to conquer Japan mastermind Toranaga wants to get the anjin out of Osaka quickly, knowing he is the target of not only the portuguese but Lord Ishido aswell. With a trick and Blackthorne's cleverness they manage to escape the sea blockade. Toranaga also retreats from the council and prepares for war. Blackthorne will play an important role by training Toranaga's men in european combat.
What stands out of this episode is the great character development. Blackthorne and Lady Mariko come closer and I can already feel the heat. But also Toranaga and Blackthorne forge a bond. The pirate proved again his honor and bravery. He will be a loyal ally for the japanese lord.
With this said, I am stunned they managed to keep the quality as high as possible and cannot wait to see the next one.
Shôgun (2024)
I cannot wait any longer to rate this!
Shogun's first episode catched my interest. Shogun's second episode overwhelmed me.
Shogun's third episode confirmed my greatest hope.
This epic tale is a huge addition to the genre of historical dramas. It has great writing, brilliant atmosphere and music, loveable characters, amazing set pieces and costumes, satisfying action and a maturity long missed in Disney productions.
The show reminds us of Game of Thrones itself, while in the same time standing on its own feet.
I wanted to wait for the show to complete before reviewing it, but after the third episode I am certain my expectations will be fulfilled. My connection to the characters already feels like a strong bond and I am that intrigued to the story I want to binge the remaining episodes immediately.
Without doubts I hereby call Shogun by the name it deserves: Masterpiece.
Shôgun: Servants of Two Masters (2024)
A GoT-like reveal!!! History unfolds before our eyes!
After watching the grandious pilot a few days ago I finally got to see the second episode of this hostorical epos. Now I am certain, that this is no ordinary show, this is huge.
In my first review I conpared Shogun with Game of Thrones because obviously there are similarities. One of them are the politics and most important the intrigues.
In this episode the setup for the show is complete by revealing the greater conflict. At first we thought the impeachment of Lord Taronaga by the council led by Lord Ishido would be the major threat. But its bigger, much bigger than that. Spain and Portugal the two big colonial empires of the world at that time have a secret masterplan to conquer and divide countries around the globe.
Jon Blackthorne, the english pirate, reveals these plans to Lord Taronaga. It turns out that the portuguese already have build secret bases on Japan ground with the goal to replace their leader with a portuguese marionette.
Now it makes sense why the portuguese priests fear Blackthorne. Not just because he is a prostestand, but because he has intel that could destroy their whole operation.
If you ask me this is masterclass writing! This twist shook up my expectations completely and I am still shocked, especially by the assassination attempt on Blackthorne at the end of the episode. The stakes are high!
But to think now everything has been revealed would be foolish. What's with the Lord that serves as a double agent for both, Lord Ishido and Lord Taronaga? On which side does he stand? He reminds me of Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. You never know what he's up to.
And then there's so much else. Lady Mariko which is definitely a love interest for Blackthorne. I can't wait for them to fall in love.
Overall this second episode widened the scope of this epic. We now have two major conflicts (Ishido vs Taronaga and Japan vs Portugal) set up and 8 episodes to go. If they continue on this level they will write themselves into the books of history!
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
A pursuit of happiness
Movies shall entertain its audience. If a movie entertains you, it's a good movie.
But movies can do more. One of these things is to touch you emotionally. If a movie touches you emotionally, it's an extraordinary movie.
The pursuit of happiness does both with the focus on the emotions. It is a true story, something that could happen to all of us. It tells you to never give up.
Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith may have created one of the greatest father-son portrayals in cinema history. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time to see them fight through poverty.
Thandie Newton, who is also a great actress can't compete with that special connection.
The story is about the infamous american dream. It shows you, that if you try hard enough you will achieve your goals. However it also shows how hard the way is and therefore critizises the american way of living and capitalism.
At the end of the film I was that invested in Will Smith's character I felt the happiness the film is talking about. You could say, watching this film is the pursuit of happiness.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: The Harbinger (2024)
Ventress is not enough
After the kind of cliffhanger last week we now immediately got the reveal: Asajj Ventress makes her return!
Ventress is one of the countless great characters of the clone wars and it is righteous to bring her back. She still is a bounty hunter and does not work for the empire. She may even fit in the Batch...
However this episode fails to get the story moving. It is revealed that Omega very likely is force sensitive, but Ventress leaves the squad and therefore Omega cannot be trained. We also didn't get any information on how the squad will move on.
Don't get me wrong, I love to see Ventress again and I think we will see her again this season but it is just not enough for a ninth episode out of fifteen.
Let's hope they will surprise us next week with a banger!
Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
If you play only one game in your life, it has to be this!
When I started my Grand Theft Auto marathon in early december 2023, I kept V for the end, because I already played it once and I knew it is a masterpiece. While playing GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas and IV I saw that every single one of them is a masterpiece. And GTA San Andreas could even be the best of the whole franchise!
But then I played V again and realised, nothing, no other game can compete with it. I was a fool thinking San Andreas outranks V. The only vodeogame I would rank equally to GTA V is Breath of the Wild, Nintendo's best game of all time.
But enough of the exposition, let's get into it.
Grand Theft Auto V sold during the 10 years since its release over 190 million copies, only second behind Minecraft. The game made over 6 billion dollars making it the most profitable entertainment product of all time. In its first weekend it made over one billion dollars, making it the piece of art reaching this number the fastest. To keep it simple:
NO BOOK, NO MOVIE, NO MUSICIAN ever made this much money. Until the release of GTA VI in 2025 this record won't be broken.
To review a game like this, it needs a lot of time, because there are countless parts I want to highlight.
Let me begin with the heart of the game, the story. GTA V's story is the longest of all the GTA games featuring at least 35 hours of entertainment. It was the first game in the series that let you play not with one, nor with two, but three characters! All fleshed out, all became icons of the industry and all three were written perfectly.
There is Franklin, an afri-american young adult who tries to make some money by stealing cars with his best friend Lamar. He is unexperienced but reliable and learns quickly.
Then there is Michael, a middle aged ex-criminal who set himself into retirement under a new identity and under protection from the FIB. He is making through a mid-life crisis and rages quickly, especially when his son Jimmy or his daughter Tracey make dumb decisions. However when he gets the anger of a crime boss called Martin Madrazo and needs money, he is back in the business robbing a jewelry store.
This gets him the attention of his old mate Trevor who thought Michael was dead and now starts to investigate. Trevor is an uncontrollable, violent raging-machine that kills people just for the fun but is also extremely loyal to his friends.
When the two old friends meet again the story truly begins and we get everything imaginable. Set in the fictive state San Andreas with Los Santos aka Los Angeles as its major city this game focuses, like all GTA games on satirizing the american way of life. From corrupt cops, over left wing hipsters, hollywood stars, billionaire CEOs exploiting the poor, psychiatres with eyes only for the profit, gangs of all kinds and of course the sensation media. This game is a mirror of the western society!
Without spoilering anything, the finale of the story will give you three options to choose from. I prefer Option C, the happy ending because it wraps the story perfectly up and ends in the most satisfying way possible.
So much for the story, there is so much else to talk about! Like the open world, which is, in my opinion, the best open world ever created for a videogame. You have the city Los Santos, with its diverse quarters like the port, the airport, the i dustrial sector, the gang quarters, Vespucci Beach, Rockford Hills were the rich people shop and Vinewood Hills were the rich people live. Rockstar Games hit the original with such accuracy, you can easily dind your way in the real city if you have played the game!
The opposite of the city is Blaine County the rural area of San Andreas. This area is also very diverse with Mount Chilliad, the Alamo see, Grapeseed with its farms, a military base, Paleto Bay, the Grand Senora Desert and much more to discover!
What makes this world so special is the feeling of being actually in it while playing the game. The map is full of details and if you experience everything the game has to offer you will find so many little things that show the developers love for details.
One of these details are random events happening all over the map. Sometimes you have to chase a thief who stole a lady's handbag or you can rob a cash truck, but the real pearls of the random events are those were you have to rescue someone from criminals or just driving somebody home. On your way to their homes they talk with you and tell you very interesting things. Some events even feature old characters like Packy McReary from GTA IV who you are able to recruit for a heist later in the game. Without these random events GTA V would still be a masterpiece, but with them it is even better.
Staying with missable events, there is a whole side quest series featuring Michael joining a religious organisation. To start this quest you have to register at the epsilonprogram website with your smartphone. This quest is definitely worth it!
Being talking about sidequests, in general all of them are worth playing because they feature so many diverse characters from all different categories. There is a fitness freak, or somebody tracking alien signals, or the two brits searching for artifacts of famous people. There are so many things to discover by playing these strangers & freaks missions.
Hard cut to the gameplay: GTA V definitely has the best gunplay, the best driving and the best mission design of the whole series and one of the best of all time. You can choose from hands of weapons, which can be modified, too. This also goes with cars which can bw tuned with countless possibilities. In general the range of different vehicles is enormous from the classics like cars, bikes, planes and choppers this game gives you jetskies, jets, submarines bikes and much more to play with.
Then there is the smartphone with brings tons of new possibilities for the player. You can invest into the stock market, surf on social media or check out the websites of side characters from the game. You can also call your friends to hang out with them.
Like San Andreas GTA V gives you tons of options to customize your character. There is a tattoo studio, a barber, several clothing stores, the Los Santos Customs. You can also go to the cinema or the strip club, take part in races of all kinds, learn to fly in the flightschool or buy businesses to earn passive income.
There are also 50 spaceship parts and letter scraps to collect which both will unlock a side mission and there are 50 monster stunts rhat test your patience and skills with the vehicles.
To make it simple, there is always something to do in GTA V.
The best new feature of this game has to be the heists. There are 6 of them in the story and some more in the online mode. Every heist has to be prepared, which means you have to get the equipment needed and choose your crew members. Every single one of them is great and these missions are the highlights of the entire game.
Speaking of the online mode, I can just admire Rockstars work on it. You have so many possibilities to get rich in GTA Online, from building up your own businesses to making heists or participating in competitions. After completing the story mode you have another 200 hours of fun.
Another big point of this game is its soundtrack and score. The german team The Tangerine Dream outperformed every other video game with their amazing soundtrack. With titles like "No Happy Endings" "North Yankron Memories" or the infamous title theme "Welcome to Los Santos" they wrote history. Together with the unlimited radio stations in the game you have always something to listen to. I can recommend the Los Santos Rock channel which has classics en masse.
This game originally released on PS3 and Xbox360 and got ported not only for PS4 and Xbox One but also for the next generation PS5 and Xbox Series X. This shows how successful and relevant this game still is and you can see that on the awesome graphics the next gen version has to offer.
So what else could I tell you about GTA V? Let me say it simple and easy. If you have not played Grand Theft Auto V, you have played nothing and you have experienced nothing in your life. This is the gaming aquivalent of Breaking Bad, Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.
So do yourself a favor and get this game as soon as possible!
I for myself will continue playing. My goal is the platinum trophy, the highest achievement a gamer can get. You know, after the story the game begins for real.
Thank you for joining me on this epic review and see you soon in Los Santos! And remember GTA VI is coming soon!